While the body has yet to be identified, all signs point to the remains being the Wolf Pack player who was presumed drowned while paddle boarding last summer. The coroner’s office is attempting to identify the body through finger prints and dental records. Ma, a Honolulu native, walked on with the Wolf Pack in 2015.

“We talked (Monday) and the news kind of trickled out as the day went along,” Wolf Pack coach Jay Norvell said. “We talked to some of the guys (Monday) afternoon, some of the leaders, and then we huddled up as a team at dinner (Monday) night. All the players are hopeful the body can be identified and it is Marc just for his family and so he can go home and his parents can bury him back there.”

Ma went paddle boarding on June 10, 2016, with a group of fellow Wolf Pack student-athletes. Winds picked up on the lake shortly after the group entered the water, with waves rising to 3 to 5 feet. The athletes were swept off their board and Ma’s friends were rescued by a boat crew from a nearby marina, but Ma was never again seen. He was not wearing a personal flotation device.

Officials were unable to recover Ma’s body last summer, but his family hired “Bruce's Legacy,” a non-profit volunteer organization in Wisconsin that provides emergency assistance, education, public safety awareness and search and recovery operations for drowned victims to provide resolution for families.

At 1:05 p.m. Monday, the camera spotted a body in 240 feet of water. The body was then brought to shore with assistance from the Placer County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Coast Guard. Officials believe the body is Ma because of the clothes on the subject. Ma also is the only person to go under in the West Shore Cafe area in the last several years, according to the Placer County Sherriff’s Office.

“I can’t imagine what it’s like for the family not to have that closure for all of this time,” said Norvell (Ma’s body wasn’t recovered until 416 days after he went missing at the lake). “As a football family, we’re hopeful that we find out for sure and his family can have that closure and he can go home.”

The Wolf Pack players, many of whom still wear a shirt dedicated to Ma, have declined comment as a group until the body is identified as their teammate. Last year, the Wolf Pack set up a locker room dedicated to Ma and pledged not to issue his jersey number 59 until what would have been the expiration of his college eligibility (the 2019 season). No player this year has been issued that number.

WOLF PACK WAITING ON THE NCAA

Two Pack players expected to hold sizable roles this season are still waiting to be cleared by the NCAA.

Justin Brent, a transfer from Notre Dame, and junior-college transfer Vosean Crumbie are both waiting to join fall camp practice, which began Monday. Brent is joining Nevada as a grad transfer, which means he’s eligible to play immediately. He finished his Notre Dame degree while studying abroad in China this summer. A wide receiver, Brent will have two seasons of eligibility with the Wolf Pack.

“He finished up his academics and they just has to clear his graduation before he can practice,” Norvell said. “He’s just out here watching and hopefully in the next couple of days he’ll be cleared.”

Crumbie, a junior cornerback, played for Ventura College and was a junior college All-American last season after recording 41 tackles, three interceptions and 11 pass breakups in 11 games.

“Crumbie has a couple more days of class left before he can be cleared,” Norvell said. “He’s on progress and it should be in the next week or so.”

Both Brent and Crumbie are expected to be in the two deep and could be starters this season.

JC offensive lineman Kevin Spencer has yet to arrive on campus as he finished classes at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill. Spencer can play both tackle and guard and is expected to add depth to the line.

“Kevin Spencer, the offensive lineman from Chicago, will be here in the next week or so,” Norvell said.

PADDED PRACTICES COMING

Nevada hasn’t been able to wear shoulder pads for its first two practices but will be allowed to strap them on Wednesday for practice three as its wades through the NCAA’s required acclimation process.

“I hate not being in pads,” Norvell said. “It’s the most dangerous football you can play, guys rolling up on shoulders.”

The Wolf Pack has mostly avoided injuries during the first two days of practice, although receiver Hunter Juarez, a walk-on from the Bay Area, jammed his shoulder diving for a pass Monday. After slapping on shoulder pads Wednesday, the Wolf Pack will be able to go to fully padded practices Thursday.

NORTHWESTERN LINE OUT

The Wolf Pack won’t open the season for a month, but a betting line for its opener at Northwestern has already been released: Nevada is a 24.5-point underdog against the Wildcats.

Since moving to the FBS in 1992, the Wolf Pack is 6-30 against Power 5 schools (Northwestern plays in the Big 10). One of those wins did come against the Wildcats. Nevada beat Northwestern, 31-21, in Reno in 2006. Northwestern avenged that loss the following season with a 36-31 home victory.

The Wolf Pack will get $1.3 million to play at Northwestern this season, the second-largest single-game payout in school history. Nevada received $1.5 million to play at Texas A&M in 2015.